Spain's qualification for the last 32 of the World Cup came at a heavy price as winger Yéremy Pino is likely to miss the rest of the tournament with a broken collarbone, and Nico Williams is also doubtful with a groin injury. The team secured a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Guadalajara, but the physical match left Spain's attacking options depleted.
Pino's injury and diagnosis
Pino, who came on as a second-half substitute, suffered a heavy fall during the match. Despite playing on until the final whistle, he left the stadium with his arm in a sling. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente described him as "heroic" and confirmed a suspected fracture. "Yéremy has a fracture ... It does look very bad, and there is a high possibility he will miss the rest of the competition," de la Fuente said.
Williams' groin concern
Williams, also introduced in the second half, left the stadium limping and head down. He was the victim of a harsh challenge from Nicolás de la Cruz, which sparked late confrontations, but it is unclear if that caused the injury. De la Fuente said, "He has some small discomfort: it could be a muscle strain, it could be fatigue. We will wait until tomorrow."
Winger shortage for Spain
With Lamine Yamal still returning from injury and Víctor Muñoz training alone due to a calf issue, Spain now has fitness doubts over all four natural wingers in the squad. De la Fuente acknowledged the problem: "We're getting a bit short on specialist wingers. We won't change our ideas, but will have different players with different characteristics. If we can't play with wingers, we'll play without wingers."
Spain landed back in Chattanooga early Saturday. Tests will be carried out on both wingers, with the team due to train again at 6pm local time. The coach expressed pessimism about Williams' prognosis, though he is not sure if it is a muscle strain or fatigue. Lamine Yamal, who has started the past two games after a substitute appearance in the opener, is nearing full fitness but has played only 19, 45, and 75 minutes in the three matches so far.
